Cornyn is a graduate of Trinity University and St. Mary’s School of Law (both in San Antonio) and earned a Masters of Law from the University of Virginia Law School. He would go on to get elected district court judge in Bexar County. In 1990 Cornyn was elected to the state Supreme Court. In 1998 he was elected Texas' Attorney General. After Republican Senator Phil Gramm announced his retirement Cornyn entered the race to succeed him, and defeated the Democratic nominee, DallasMayor Ron Kirk. He was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2008.